This is basically a blog about training and performance. ...well that and a place for me to crap on and moan in equal measure.

When and Where?

Group Training from 7.00am till 12.00pm and again from 5.00pm till 9.00pm Monday to Friday & Saturday 10.30am till 12.30pm...I'll take it that if you found this site then you'll stand a pretty good chance of finding the gym...if you can't...then look harder.

Individual sessions and consultations are available throughout the day outside of group training times...but if you didn't know that...there's a good chance I won't see you any way...I've standards to keep....eventually I hope to be so exclusive that I won't see anyone.

...before you ask....yes, I am expensive....really expensive.

Items of Interest

Stuff I like...that I also get a juicy cut of if you buy it

Lyle McDonald's Books- Everything I've stolen in the area of nutrition. If I've told you how to lose weight... it was from here... if you've got advice on bulking up... also here... if you are seriously interested in nutrtion and sports performance... don't talk to me unless you own them.

Dan John's 3 DVD set- (Something I won't get a cut of... but Dan, when I'm in Utah... you buy the beer... even if I have to wait an hour for my next one) The set includes Everything's over my head, From the ground up and Carried Away. If you are interested in lifting you should buy it. Just about everything I know and teach with regards to Oly Lifting was stolen from these... I bought them and still watch them.

Iron Woody Bands- These are the bands we use. I don't think they are better or worse than other bands but I can tell you I still have the original bands I bought years and years ago so they've stood the test of time.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Anyone out there reading the blog who wants to get 'amongst it' with regards testing...feel free to do our testing as detailed and film it and send me a link to your results and I'll post the test results and bio that you provide in the 'athletes blog'.

So it goes as follows:Height:Weight:Age:1RM Trap Bar Deadlift:1RM Bench Press:3RM Squat:3RM Pull Up:Squat - body weight repetition:Pull Up - body weight repetition:Push Ups - 60 seconds:Inverted Rows - 60 seconds:Note...all testing must be completed in a single day...the lads do it in a single sitting....so you can as well.

Some of you reading this must surely be training hard...or training others hard in your respective facilities wherever you may be...lets see what you've got?

I'll create a 'Random Stranger Trainers' record board...I'll even take records on an honour system basis but videoed records will have priority.

I'm going to film one of the lads complete testing this weekend so you'll know exactly the way the testing is performed...so get cracking.

17 comments:

I see you're training Johnno who has a knee injury. What way did you alter the test for him? I've a knee injury myself and cant deadlift or squat (cant even squat Bodyweight)... Also does the test have to be completed in the order posted? i.e could you put 3RM Pull up first, with 1RM bench second then put BW reps 60secs Pull up and push ups last...

His injury mainly restricts repetitive loading. So one off tests like deadlifting don't cause significant problems...he hasn't actually trained any loaded lower body movements involving significant knee flexion for months. RDL's, Back Extension, Natural Reverse Hypers...that's it. The 280kg he pulled he did with 2 warm up sets..a rep at 140 a rep at 240(I think) then pulled 280kg's. He actually got 310 airborne before of dubious ghetto rigging of the weights on the trap bar fell off. When he get's his knee sorted he'll post some big squat and deadlift numbers.

No, it doesn't have to be completed in order...the guys all have there preferred way of posting their best scores.Do them however you please.

Ben, That is excellent. I will create a section for just this sort of blog. If you or anyone else wants the template to my blog just email me and I'll send it to you if you want to save yourselves some time and messing about.

Hi Will!Im a swedish physiotherapist and strengthcoach who has been reading your blogg for the last week and i just want to say that its good stuff!I have a question about the pushups - Whats the dept of a pushup that counts as a rep? Is it chest touching testers knuckle and then full extension? Do you max it out in 60 sek or do you use a metronome with like a 1-1 sek?

I'm glad I have some Swedish blog readers...I can talk with them in Swedish about all the rest of you behind your backs...only trouble is those damn Finns can speak a bit of Swedish as well...and don't get me started on the Danes and Nowegians...those sneaky bastards will be able to work out what's going on as well.

I actually had a scholarship to a sports school in Sverige from the age of 16 and went to high school there and returned to Sweden to race for IFK Goteborg a few years later.

Also as all my athletes here know and friends and aquaintance in the US know...to this day I still have a filthy snus habit that brings me endless joy and relaxation.

So welcome to any Swedish, Finnish, Norwegian and Danish blog readers...it's good to see you lazy bastards still don't do any work.

Will, I will definitely be taking you up on the offer to get "amongst it". Recently, we talked about having a reason to train and finding a way/ways in which to assess yourself. This is perfect for me.Though I no longer participate in organized sports, other than a basketball or flag-football game, I am alwasy looking to make myself a better all-around athlete. As you have talked about in previous posts, your goal is to make your guys and gals, better athletes. The benchmarks you set for these tests seem to be good indicators of that (or atleast that is how i am interpreting it).I think the competititve nature of this will be great to keep me focused on my training and the tests themselves will be great for assessing how I am doing. I look forward to this.

One question: I dont have acess to a trap-bar at my gym, can I do a conventional barbell deaflift instead, and would the same 2x bodyweight goal apply?

This blog keeps getting better and better. Not sure if that is good or bad. It seems like the better this gets the less prodcutive I am with regard to studying and work.

Will,I will definitely be taking you up on the offer to get "amongst it". Welcome on board.

Recently, we talked about having a reason to train and finding a way/ways in which to assess yourself. This is perfect for me.Though I no longer participate in organized sports, other than a basketball or flag-football game, I am alwasy looking to make myself a better all-around athlete. As you have talked about in previous posts, your goal is to make your guys and gals, better athletes. The benchmarks you set for these tests seem to be good indicators of that (or atleast that is how i am interpreting it).I think the competititve nature of this will be great to keep me focused on my training and the tests themselves will be great for assessing how I am doing. I look forward to this.Take some pics, keep a diary and lets get on with it.

One question: I dont have acess to a trap-bar at my gym, can I do a conventional barbell deaflift instead, and would the same 2x bodyweight goal apply?Conventional is fine...trap bar is a little easier for most but the same for some...the conventional pull will be just as good.

This blog keeps getting better and better. Not sure if that is good or bad. It seems like the better this gets the less prodcutive I am with regard to studying and work.Mate it is great to have positive feedback and like I said to Corrmick in NYC...be sure to let me know if the blog starts going off the rails.

Hey Will, I'm thinking about giving this a go as a benchmark. It'll probably end up a benchmark that everyone beats, but that's not the point, really. But for the record, you shouldn't expect any big numbers out of me.

Concerns:-my bench sucks-my inverted row strength sucks-I haven't squatted for reps higher than 8 in years, so BW for reps will be stupid for me-my gym doesn't have a trap bar for deads

You really have your guys do all this heavy crap in one day? I suppose its not outrageous, but it seems like a bit for one go.

If anything, it'll make other weak guys feel better about their lifts and conditioning.

If you take a look at my latest post...you'll see that all the testing has been divided up...not evenly but so that we'll do testing and the beginning and end of a training cycle and another standard test in the middle of a cycle.